THE ATHENIAN MERCURY, London, Nov. 26, 1695  This was the very first of the "agony aunt" newspapers, a newspaper providing personal advice to its readers.
In creating this format of responding to questions from readers, the publisher, John Dunton, did so as a result of feeling guilty for cheating on his wife. He thought that people like himself might appreciate confiding in a stranger--anonymously--& that readers would be titillated by the exchange.
It proved to be a success as he was bombarded with queries on everything from marriage to the ethics of slave-trading to why sermons seem longer than they are. There are 5 questions in this issue, one of which begins: "I lately fell in love with a young woman, partly for her virtues, but cou'd not tell how to let her know it...".
Single sheet, 7 1/2 by 12 inches, very nice condition.